CHAPTER XI. CHRIST ENTERING JERUSALEM IN TRIUMPH, CURSING THE BARREN FIG TREE, PURIFYING THE TEMPLE, INCULCATING FAITH IN GOD, AND REPLYING TO THE PHARISEES.

1 ^11:1AND when they came near to Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, ^11:2and said to them, Go into the village opposite to you, and as you enter it you will immediately find a colt tied, on which no man ever sat; untie him and bring him. ^11:3And if any one says to you, Why do you do this? say, The Lord has need of him, and he will immediately send him. ^11:4And they went and found a colt tied at the door without, at the crossing of the streets, and they untied him. ^11:5And some of those standing there said to them, Why do you untie the colt? ^11:6And they said as Jesus directed, and they let them go.

2 ^11:7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and put on it their clothes, and he sat on it. ^11:8And many spread their clothes in the way; and others cutting branches from the trees spread them in the way; ^11:9and those who went before, and those who followed, cried, Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! ^11:10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David, which is coming! Hosanna in the highest [heavens]! ^11:11And Jesus went into Jerusalem, and into the temple, and looking round on all things when it was now evening he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

3 ^11:12And on the next day as they returned from Bethany he was hungry; ^11:13and seeing a fig tree at a distance having leaves, he went to see if he could find any thing on it. And having come to it, he found nothing except leaves, for it was not time for figs. ^11:14And he spoke and said to it, Let no one eat fruit of you forever! And his disciples heard him.

4 ^11:15And they came to Jerusalem, and going into the temple he cast out those that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the brokers, and the seats of those that sold doves, ^11:16and permitted no one to carry a vessel through the temple. ^11:17And he taught them, saying, It is written, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations; but you have made it a den of robbers. ^11:18And the scribes and chief priests came and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his teaching. ^11:19And when it was evening he went out of the city.

5 ^11:20And passing along in the morning, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ^11:21And Peter remembering, said to him, Rabbi, behold the fig tree which you cursed is dried up. ^11:22And Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God; ^11:23I tell you truly, that whoever shall say to this mountain, be raised up and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he says will be done, whatever he says shall be done for him. ^11:24Therefore I tell you, all things whatever which you ask in prayer, believe that you shall receive them, and you shall have them. ^11:25And when you stand praying, forgive if you have any thing against any, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your offenses.

6 ^11:27And they came again to Jerusalem; and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and scribes, and elders came to him, ^11:28and said to him, By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you this authority to do them? ^11:29And Jesus said to them, I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ^11:30The baptism of John; was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. ^11:31And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say, Why did you not believe him? ^11:32But if we say from men, they feared the people, for all considered John as a prophet indeed. ^11:33And they answered and said to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

7 ^12:1And he said to them, in parables, A man planted a vineyard and made a hedge about it, and dug a wine-vat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad. ^12:2And he sent a servant to the husbandmen at the time to receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard; ^12:3and they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. ^12:4And again he sent another servant to them, and they wounded him on the head, and treated him shamefully. ^12:5And he sent another, and they killed him; and many others, and they beat some, and killed some. ^12:6Having yet one beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, They will reverence my son.

8 ^12:7But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. ^12:8And seizing him, they killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. ^12:9What will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and let the vineyard to others. ^12:10Have you not read this Scripture, The stone which the builders rejected, has become the head of a corner; ^12:11this is from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes? ^12:12And they sought to take him, and feared the multitude, for they knew that he spoke this parable against them. And they left him, and went away.

9 ^12:13And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and Herodians to ensnare him in his words. ^12:14And they came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no one, for you respect not the face of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay tribute to CÆsar or not? ^12:15Shall we pay? or shall we not pay? But he knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why do you try me? Bring me a denarius [14 cents], that I may see it. ^12:16And they brought him one. And he said to them, Whose is this figure, and the inscription? And they said to him, CÆsar's. ^12:17And Jesus said, Render CÆsar's dues to CÆsar, and God's to God. And they wondered at him.

10 ^12:18And the Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, ^12:19Teacher, Moses wrote to us, that if one's brother dies and leaves a wife, and leaves no child, his brother shall take his wife and raise up children for his brother. ^12:20There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died, and left no child; ^12:21and the second took her, and died leaving no child; and the third in like manner. ^12:22And the seven left no child. Last of all, the woman died also. ^12:23In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife shall she be? for the seven had her as a wife. ^12:24Jesus said to them, Do you not err on this account, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? ^12:25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are married, but are like angels in heaven. ^12:26But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him at the bush, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? ^12:27He is not a God of the dead, but of the living; you greatly err.

11 ^12:28And one of the scribes coming forward hearing them disputing, knowing that he answered them well, asked him, What commandment is first of all? ^12:29Jesus answered, First is, Hear Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; ^12:30and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. ^12:31Second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. ^12:32And the scribe said to him, Well, teacher, you have said truly; there is one [God], and no other but him; ^12:33and to love him with all the heart, and all the understanding, and all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. ^12:34And Jesus seeing him, that he answered understandingly, said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God; and no one dared to question him more.

12 ^12:35And Jesus answered and said, teaching in the temple, How do the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? ^12:36David himself said, by the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. ^12:37David himself calls him Lord, and whence is he his son? And the great multitude heard him gladly.

13 ^12:38And he said to them in his teaching, Beware of the scribes who desire to walk in long robes, and desire salutations in the markets, ^12:39and the first seats in the synagogues, and the first places at feasts; ^12:40who devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. They shall receive a greater judgment.

14 ^12:41And sitting opposite to the treasury, he observed how the multitude cast copper into the treasury. And many rich men cast in much; ^12:42and one poor widow came and cast in two lepta, which is a quadrans [4 mills]. ^12:43And calling his disciples, he said to them, I tell you truly, that this poor widow has cast in more than all who have cast into the treasury. ^12:44For all [others] have cast in of their abundance; but she of her want has cast in all that she had her entire living.